Span's power surge continues, Cubs' young talent on full display

Denard Span continued throwing the lumber around on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field with his second home run in as many games. For a moment, his eighth-inning bullet over the right field wall seemed to be the game-winner before the Cubs answered with some artillery of their own, sending the Nationals walking off disappointed with a 3-2 loss.

Span, who's only 31, joked to reporters that he has "old man power". Whatever it is, the Nats' center fielder is creating more souvenirs for fans than ever before. Span has already matched his home run total of five from all of last season in just 29 games this year. He has actually hit more than five in a season only twice in his eight-year career. He blasted six in his rookie year in 2008 and followed it with a career-best eight the next season.

Unfortunately for the Nats, right-hander Aaron Barrett lost the lead shortly after Span's homer when he gave up a bomb to Cubs rookie Kris Bryant to lead off the bottom of the inning. The 23-year-old phenom destroyed a hanging slider from Barrett, sending it soaring past the scoreboard well beyond the left-center field wall at Wrigley Field.

"I thought it was over the board," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said to reporters. "It was really pummeled."

The titanic blast, modestly measured at 477 feet, tied the game.

"He got a hanging breaking ball," Nationals manager Matt Williams said to reporters. "He's got good power and he's taking advantage of mistakes ... a couple of them in the first couple games. And he's not missing. That's why he's such a high prospect for them and a really good player."

Bryant was just one of several talented youngsters to give the Nats fits on Tuesday night. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks, 25, baffled the Nats' lineup for much of his seven stellar innings, allowing just one run on Bryce Harper's wind-aided pop-fly homer.

And 21-year old rookie Addison Russell ended the game with a walk-off RBI double against Nats lefty Matt Grace. That capped off a 3-for-4 night for Russell, who again dazzled with a couple of spectacular plays at second base.

The youth movement in Chicago has received a fair amount of press early on this season, and rightfully so. The Nats are getting their first look at these Cubs, who are filled with potential to compete in the National League for years to come.

"We're gonna continue to get better as we gain more experience," Maddon said to reporters. "If you could put your scout's hat and look at these guys - I'm even saying like a year and a half, two years at the most from now - what they're gonna look like. It's a dramatic difference. It's like the difference of being a sophomore and a senior in high school or a freshman and a junior-senior. It's the same thing."

Jayson Werth arrived at Wrigley Field on Tuesday to continue treatment on ailing left wrist while the Nats continue on this six-game road trip. It doesn't appear as the 35-year old is close to returning from the disabled list.

"If you've got what he's got in his wrist with the surgeries and the metal and all of that stuff, it takes a little bit longer when you get plunked like that," Williams said. "He's not able to rotate like he would need to swing a bat. So we're waiting on that. They'll treat him aggressively like they have been to try to get it out there as quickly as possible. He's got fairly good grip strength, but with the rotation of it and turning that bat over, it's not good yet."

Williams also indicated to reporters that Anthony Rendon played three innings in a simulated game in Florida on Tuesday while he continues to rehab from his left oblique strain. Williams pointed to Rendon stealing third base in the game as a good sign that the 24-year old isn't feeling restricted. Williams expects Rendon to play five innings today, and if he comes out of it feeling well, it's possible that Rendon could begin a minor league rehab stint this weekend.